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NASCAR has issued penalties, suspensions and fines to two teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of rules infractions discovered this week during post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center following last Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The No. 33 team was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-3 (car body location specifications in reference to the certified chassis did not meet NASCAR-approved specifications) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.

As a result, crew chief Shane Wilson has been fined $150,000, suspended from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Car chief Chad Haney has also been suspended from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31.

Driver Clint Bowyer and owner Richard Childress have been penalized with the loss of 150 championship driver and owner points, respectively.

I don't even know what to think anymore. There are not many areas to play with on the COT. NASCAR says there is a gray area to play with, but the exact limits of the gray area are confusing. How does NASCAR support innovation while pushing to make the cars more identical?

I'm curious how the car passed pre-race inspection but failed at the R&D center as well.

NASCAR informed us after the Richmond race that we were very close to their maximum tolerances. They also told us they were going to take our New Hampshire car to the NASCAR Technical Center after that race. It doesn’t make any sense at all that we would send a car to New Hampshire that wasn’t within NASCAR’s tolerances. I am confident we fixed the area of concern and the New Hampshire car left the race shop well within the tolerances required by NASCAR.

We feel certain that the cause of the car being out of tolerance by sixty thousandths of an inch, less than 1/16 of an inch, happened as a result of the wrecker hitting the rear bumper when it pushed the car into winner’s circle. The rear bumper was also hit on the cool down lap by other drivers congratulating Clint on his victory. That’s the only logical way that the left-rear of the car was found to be high at the tech center. We will appeal NASCAR’s ruling and take it all the way to the NASCAR commissioner for a final ruling, if need be.”

Childress' explanation is a little disingenuous. He tries to make light of the fact that the bumper was only off by 1/16th of an inch - the implication being that such a small amount shouldn't affect the inspection.

But we've all seen how much 1/16th of an inch can affect the cars in a restrictor plate. We've all seen how much a car's performance can change when the crew chief calls for a round of wedge in the back (which raises one side about 1/16th of an inch). We've all seen how much a car's performance can be affected by as little as ONE-HALF POUND of pressure in only one tire.

So when he makes light of the bumper being off by 1/16th of an inch, he is trying to prey on people thinking that is insignificant, when we all know it isn't.

Believe me, if it was the 48 team that was off by 1/16th of an inch, everyone and their brother would be calling Chad Knaus a cheater. So let's hold Bowyer's team to the exact same standards: they failed, they failed legitimately, and they deserve the penalty.

It's pretty obvious what's going on. All year long, one driver has been pushed on us as "NASCAR's saviour--the one, the only, the annointed-one-who'll-save-us-from-JJ. I present to you, Denny Hamlin.

Given all the crap that Hamhead's been getting away with the past couple of years, I think Clint should administer some "payback." On the surface he can say that it's for something that the "Anointed One" has done to him in the past. After all, he'll just be "having at it..."

Well seeing as how Knaus is now seen as a saint despite his chronic breaking of the rules that launched Johnson to his position I would say that Wilson is in good company and Bowyer is poised to dominate the Sprint Cup for years to come.

I seriously doubt any of the tv talking heads will have a problem with cheating.